


Baby Bat

by Deadmockingbirds



Series: Batfam [5]
Category: Batman: The Animated Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Discipline, Family Cuddles, Full House Moments, Gen, House full of Robins, Hugging, M/M mentions, Non-Consensual Spanking, OTK, Scolding, Spanking, lots of hugging, strictness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-23 08:52:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17077196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deadmockingbirds/pseuds/Deadmockingbirds
Summary: A series of 'Days in the Life' of the Batfam





	Baby Bat

**Author's Note:**

> December 22, 2018
> 
> Hey all! 
> 
> I'm excited to finally have something to post. But I am even more excited to announce that I have made a Deadmockingbirds Website. Here, you will find all the places I live online, plus, I'm actually going to blog. In that blog, I'll write about where I'm at with WIPs, and even post bits from them while I work on them, so you can see ahead of time. Eventually, I'd like to have all my works there too, but that will take some time. Take a look, and sign up for my blog :) I'll have a new blog sometime today, or tomorrow. 
> 
> deadmockingbirds.wordpress.com
> 
>  
> 
> This episode is the last I have fully formed in my mind, but I *know* more will come. Let's just say you'll figure it out when you get to the end of this episode. Plus, I want to write some episodes where we can see the dynamic between Bruce and his boys. I'll jump back and forth in time (pre-this-series, post-this-series). Hope you enjoy!
> 
> And in case my plans to have a few other things up goes awry, hope the holidays are merry and bright <3 Love you all, Mock.

Damian did get that spanking. Dick called it a 'thinking spanking', or alternately, a 'let it go' spanking. Whatever kind it was, it hurt, and Damian is embarrassed to say he couldn't keep himself still. He didn't; however, cry and that's something. Damian calls that a win, but Dick told him it's not, apparently. That crying during one of those spankings is beneficial. Damian thinks Dick doesn't know everything. He will admit he got release from the spanking, he did feel better after. Whatever knots were tied up inside him, they were all undone by the time Dick was done with him, and Dick was pleased.

But cry? Damian doesn't need to cry.

They've been on lockdown all the days Batman said they would be. Today he's set to come home, and Jason got it in his head that they would help with the cleaning. "There might come a day we don't have maids and butlers to help us," Jason had said at breakfast that morning. Damian thought he was being preposterous—of course there will be maids and butlers to help them forever and always, at least for Damian, he's not planning on ever doing that stuff.

Jason wouldn't budge, which is why after school, Damian and Tim were sent to work on the upstairs bathrooms. Damian's got a mop in his hand, and Tim's cleaning out the tub. "This is stupid. We pay people to do this. When Father gets home, I'm having a word with him about this."

Tim laughs. "Yeah, okay little brother. Mind if I watch? I'll bring popcorn."

Damian mops harder.

"You're going to break that, and then you'll really irk Jason. He just wants to be able to tell Dad we did something for his homecoming."

"So this is all to make him look good?"

"No Damian. It's so Dad will feel special."

Damian continues to mop and to think about that. Special? They are always concerned with making someone feel special. Why? Isn't every damn day special around here? Damian's not so sure it's not just so Jason will look good. Damian keeps mopping, thinking about how things were when he lived with his grandfather.

He worked hard to make his grandfather proud, which he also does with Father, but that's not the same as making someone feel special.

Alfred takes full advantage of the help, and isn't shy about critiquing Damian when he feels Damian isn't doing the best job he could. Damian's a grouch, and just wants Father to come home so they can never clean again.

After the bathrooms he was assigned are done, Damian's able to hide for a bit. It's raining (it seems to be forever raining in Gotham) and Damian is staring out the window. Father better take him on patrol when he gets back, after he returns his Robin suit.

"Your face it going to freeze like that," Dick says dusting Damian's face with the feather duster.

"Dick!"

Dick laughs. "Changed your face, didn't I? You looked like you were chewing nails."

"When will Father be home?" Damian has a one-track mind.

"Jace already told you—later this evening."

"When this evening?"

"When he gets home. But here, this'll cheer you up."

Dick presents Damian with his Robin suit, and Damian does light up. "Really?"

"Yep. Dad said you could have it back today."

Damian knows Father would never be suddenly inspired to do something like this. Jason and Dick put in a good word for him. He happily accepts the offering, and wastes no time stripping down and suiting up.

"Make sure you don't go anywhere," Dick warns him.

"I'm not stupid." Who knows how long Father would take his Robin suit away for next time?

When Damian's all Robined-out, Dick approves. "I must say, I'm glad to see you as Robin again, especially if it makes you this happy."

Damian smiles with eyes squinted into slits, managing to make happiness a cloudy day. "I'm going down to train."

"Oh no you're not. There are more chores."

"I'm not taking this off."

"You don't have to, but you do have to finish this list from Jason."

Damian accepts the list from Dick, looking it over with disdain. "This is ridiculous. We hire people for this." Yeah he's already said it a bunch of times today, no he's not going to stop saying it.

"Nevertheless." Dick walks out on his high horse after that, and Damian is left with the list from hell. How's he supposed to get all of this done in time for Father to get home? It's nearly the time dinner happens, surely Father will be home for dinner?

__________

But Father isn't home for dinner, and Damian's level of irritation is rising.

"Have you finished your chores, Damian?" Jason asks.

"Did you see the list you gave me? Of course not."

"I gave you less than the rest of us. You're the only one not finished. Do you need help?"

"I don't need help."

Jason doesn't look so sure. "Dick, make sure he gets his chores done. I've got to do a repair on the batbike for Dad."

"Does that mean you've heard from him?" Damian asks.

"I have. He says for you to behave yourself," Jason says. Damian can see a little twinkle in his eyes, him enjoying whatever Damian's reaction will be.

Damian doesn't disappoint; his scowl is noteworthy. "That can't be all he said. When's he coming home?"

"Later. You'll long be in bed."

"In bed? What was all this chore business for if I'm just going to be in bed anyway?"

"You'll get to see him in the morning."

Damian loses it. "This is horse… manure." He remembers Alfred is in the room. "Can't an exception be made?"

"You have school in the morning," Jason tells him like he doesn't already know. And in other words, no.

Damian refuses to talk to anyone for the rest of dinner, but he does eat his dinner. Alfred is an excellent cook, and thankfully in addition to all the household chores over these past few days, cooking was not something anyone had to do. No one except Dick really caught onto cooking. Jason is okay at it, but he's more an eat for function kind of cook—his food tastes all right, but he doesn't add much pizazz. Tim can too, but he'd rather cook out of a package, can, or box. Dick though, he puts the love in.

Meanwhile, Damian will burn toast.

Later, Dick is helping Damian with his chores, and Damian is being a grouch. He's surprised when he doesn't receive a lecture for his attitude, but he knows Dick is watching him closely.

The chores do get done, but instead of thanking him, Damian decides on not asking him for the hundredth time, when Father will be home.

The four of them spend the evening spread out around the large parlor room. There's a nice fire going, with Jason set up in the plush, red couch in front of it with his book, while Dick writes in this journal, and Tim does his homework. Jason's been a whole lot stricter with Tim and his homework over the past few days.

Damian isn't doing anything in particular, just watching on at his family with amused disdain. Besides, Jason said it's either this or go to bed, and Damian's not going to bed yet. He's staying up late as he can, in hopes he catches Father's arrival home. He's got a few bones to pick with him.

He still hasn't removed his Robin outfit since Dick returned it to him. Damian moves over to Dick, and peers over his shoulder. "Are you writing about me?" Damian asks. He sees his name, clear as day. Dick doesn't try to hide it.

"You're not supposed to read some else's journal, Damian," Dick informs him.

"I want to know what you wrote about me."

"That you're a nosey brat who needs a good spanking," Dick says, smiling. "You've been part of my week, are you really that surprised?"

Damian is a little surprised. He thought journals were for self-reflection, not to record mundane activities you do with your brothers. Who wants to remember that?

_Sappy Dick._

"Here, read if it will wipe that sour look off your face."

Just a moment ago, he felt it his right to peer at the words that are clearly about him, but now, he feels intrusive. Dick said to though, and he's not passing up the chance. He looks.

_I think Damian's made some real strides this week, and it was adorable the way he wouldn't remove his Robin outfit._

Damian stares at the page, offended. "I am _not,_ adorable."

Dick ruffles his hair, as Damian ducks away. "When will Father be home?"

"Jason told you, when you're long in bed."

"Speaking of, I think it's time," Jason says closing his book.

Damian notices that Tim looks up, as disappointed as he is, but catches what's on his tongue. Damian does not. "I want to stay up until Father gets home."

"No chance of that happening, kid," Jason say. "C'mon, let's go."

Damian is not above begging. "Please? …just, another hour?"

"No. Let's go." Jason has his do so, or else, look on.

Damian crosses his arms. "Pout all you want Damian. I'm putting you to bed."

That really gets Damian's attention. " _You?_ I mean, I don't need anyone to put me to bed."

"I am. And Dick will make sure Tim's tucked in," Jason says.

"Okay, _he_ might need a tuck-in, but not me. I'm too old for that," Tim says.

"So am I," Damian says.

Dick comes up behind Tim and puts a hand on his neck. "Looks like you're with me," Dick says, ignoring all the protests.

"I want, Dick," Damian blurts out.

Dick checks in with Jason to see if that's a possibility, asking the question with his eyes. "Not this time," Jason says. "C'mon Damian."

"Fine, but this is horseshit." Yeah, Damian said it—Alfred's not in the room.

Damian catches Dick's smile. "C'mon, Tim."

Dick takes Tim away, guiding him by the back of his neck, leaving Damian alone with Jason. "What's the deal? Why couldn't I go with, Dick?"

"I'm preventing Dick from succumbing to the temptation of allowing you to stay up extra."

"He won't."

"He will. He feels bad you don't get to stay up to see, Dad. I don't. You're going to bed." Jason walks expecting Damian to follow.

After Damian's teeth are brushed, he's ordered to take off his Robin suit. "No."

Jason likes hearing no about as much as Father does. "Take it off, Damian." Jason holds out Damian's pajamas.

Damian removes his boots, and mask, handing the mask to Jason as he stalks past, hopping into bed. He crosses his arms sitting up defiantly, daring Jason to make him. He'll fight him if he has to. Jason, sensing how far Damian's willing to go, concedes. "All right. I suppose Dad didn't say you couldn't wear that to bed, and would be fine with it, so long as you don't go anywhere. I mean it Damian, step one foot out of this bed for _any_ reason, and I'm getting the hairbrush."

Damian's all bravado for about two seconds, but then he remembers what that thing looked like, and he's relaxing the posturing, laying down like a good boy. He rolls onto his side, facing away from Jason, to stare out the window; the light goes out, and he feels the bed dip beside him. Jason reaches out to rub his back—he's being awfully gentle tonight. Yes, Damian remembers he was a hard-ass downstairs, but now, he's full of back scratches and tenderness. Well his kindness is wasted. He's not falling asleep. No way, nada, not happening.

That's the last thing he remembers. When he opens his eyes next, it's still dark—the middle of the night—and he's being gently shook awake. He's face to face with Batman, and is about to head straight into a lecture (whether he's half-asleep, or not) when Father puts a hand over Damian's mouth, signaling him to be quiet with a finger in front of his own lips. Damian's heart starts to beat, is something wrong?

Batman must have just got home, he's still the bat, but his mask is off. "Come with me," he whispers. Damian's about to, but then he remembers Jason's warning. Jason did say for _any_ reason. And while this is likely a case where Batman's orders override Jason's, the moment of hesitation comes from Jason's warning.

"Something wrong?"

"Jason told me not to take a step out of bed, or else."

Damian gets a twitch of the lips from Batman, like he might be fighting a smile. "I'm glad to see I've got people who follow orders in my home," he says proudly. "I'll vouch for you. Now c'mon. I've got something to show you."

His cape swishes behind him, as Damian gets up to follow wherever he's headed, rubbing his eyes. Father leads him to his room, and Damian wonders if he's in trouble, which is weird, because he can't recall ever being in serious trouble in this room. Sure he was technically _in_ trouble the other night, but he wasn't spanked, and hasn’t been. Yet. First time for everything though, so Damian keeps his guard up.

When they're there, and Father's turned the light on, he crosses his arms and studies Damian. "You slept in your Robin suit?"

Now Damian sort of wishes he hadn't, but Jason didn't fight him on it, so he was reasonably sure it was no big deal. "I'm not wearing the mask, or the boots."

The corners of Batman's lips tug. "All right then."

Huh. Father's not put out, but he is amused. Realizing he's not in trouble, Damian decides it's time Father got a scolding for once. "It would have been nice if you'd arrived home at a reasonable hour, rather than yanking me out of bed. I have school in the morning, you know."

Batman is further amused. "My apologies."

The apology shocks Damian. He half expected to be turned over Father's knee. Instead, Batman's just staring at him, waiting for more lecture. This is when Damian takes a good look at Father, and when he's not thinking only of himself—which yes, Damian is prone to do—he sees how tired Father is, beat up on the outside and the inside. For a moment, Damian wonders how Dick, Jason and Father do it; continue on with lectures when it must sometimes be hard to do so. He's sure he's appeared tired, or disappointed one time or another, yet his family perseveres to lecture him anyway. How? Damian can't find it in him. Feeling he must be possessed with whatever it is in this house that spurs spontaneous hugging, Damian throws himself at Father's torso, circling his arms around his waist, and squeezes hard. He snuggles his head into the bat suit.

Father squeezes back. "I tried to come home sooner. You know I'm needed elsewhere sometimes."

"I know." Damian looks up at him. He knows, understands even, that doesn't mean Damian's not going to complain about it.

"And you're not going to school tomorrow. No one is. We're all taking a sick day. Besides, I've got something to talk to you and the others about."

This is unprecedented, and it worries Damian. Naturally, anger takes over him. "What is going on? If anyone around here makes me wait one more second—"

"—hush, Damian," Father warns not liking his tone, no longer amused. "I've planned to show you, first, which is why I've gotten you up out of bed."

"Sorry, but no one tells me anything."

"This time, it was my fault. Be mad at me if you must, but you will be respectful."

Damian knows how that goes too well. Grandfather was big on respect, regardless of whether or not you agreed with him. "Yes, Father."

"Now, for my big secret. We have some guests. One who will be indefinitely temporary, and the other who will be permanent."

Damian doesn't like outsiders. He glares.

"Before you get like that, these two need a place to be. Somewhere they can flourish, like you and your brothers."

Damian is not convinced, and he understands why Father's got him up in the middle of the night. "If you're looking for my permission, you won't get it."

"I'm not looking for you permission, Damian. I don't require it. I do want to explain this to you, so you'll understand, and I want you to meet them first."

Damian is enraged. "I don't want to meet them. I don't want them here."

"What did I just say about respect?"

Damian does respect Father, but when he's angry, he loses sight of that. "I don't care. I want them gone."

"Okay." If anyone were to think that 'okay' meant he was getting rid of the new people, they would be wrong. It's the kind of 'okay' that comes out when a family member is done with his obstinate attitude. Sure enough, Father has him over his knee and the tights of his Robin outfit down. The sharp slaps are loud and Damian's glad Father's room is far away from everyone else's room. Now he can say he's been spanked here as well—Damian has been spanked in a number of places in Wayne manor.

Father's spankings hurt. Not only do they hurt, his disappointment is able to penetrate each spank, making a lethal combo, and Damian likes it the least of all the kinds of spankings available in this house. If any spanking is going to make him cry, it's one from Father. They hit upon a little nerve inside that sends chemical messengers to his crying facilities, and tears spring forth.

Father doesn't need to spank Damian for long to get his point across. There's a line, Damian's crossed.

"More respect, Damian, are we clear?" Father says when Damian is upright, and re-clothed again, rubbing at the stupid tears ( _wouldn't Dick be proud?_ ) nodding furiously.

"Yes, sir." That one requires a sir.

Father nods, smoothing back Damian's hair. "You'll like them, I promise. Eventually."

Damian's still not sure about that, but he sniffles and nods, not wanting to disappoint Father again.

"Besides, this is going to be good for you especially."

That sounds ominous, but Damian doesn't doubt Father about this. Father has never been wrong about the things that are good for Damian.

"You ready to meet them?"

Damian nods, not want to test his voice beyond the simple 'yes, sir'. Father grabs his hand leading him to another room, one not far from Father's, and Damian realized there's the distinct possibility the new visitors heard the spanking he just got. A tiny grain of embarrassment goes through him, but Damian reasons he might as well get used to it. Spankings happen in this house. They're bound to see one at one time or another if they're living here.

In the room is something Damian doesn't expect, there's a crib. For a moment Damian is worried, has Father brought home a baby? Damian is relieved when he sees a dark-haired boy around his age. One he vaguely recognizes. "Jonathan?"

"Heya Damian," he says. Jonathan Kent is dressed in a set of superman pajamas. How original. He's barefoot and sitting on the edge of the bed.

Damian turns to Father. "What is _that_ doing here?"

"Damian, you remember Jonathan, Clark's son? He's going to stay with us for awhile. Train with us, learn with us."

Damian doesn't dislike Jonathan, they met years ago when Damian first came to live with Father. They were both ten years old then, and Damian remembered Jonathan being a scruffy looking boy, and wondering why he hadn't seemed to be quite the Adonis Superman is. That's changed. Jonathan seems to have grown into his once awkward looking body, and were his eyes always that blue?

Damian is more angry than moments ago, because something is stirring inside him about Jonathan and he doesn't like it. Plus, Jonathan is always so damn nice to Damian, even when Damian isn't so nice to him in return. It's too much pressure being expected to be nice and kind. So he does what A Damian does best, and doesn't give Jonathan reason to expect any niceties. Though he also displays the politeness Father expects from him. Those expectations, the ones from Father, are of a different nature, ones that don't exhaust Damian, because he's used to them. Besides, they're non-negotiable. Damian crosses his arms. "Hi."

Jonathan laughs.

Regardless of the annoying, cheerful, laughter, Damian is relieved. Jonathan has a father who he will go home to eventually. Sure he'll have to survive the exasperation of having him as a house guest, but then he'll be gone and life can go back to as it once was, the thread of the batfamily won't be altered in anyway.

But wait, didn't Father say there would be two coming to stay?

As if on cue, something from the crib cries. Fuck.

No one moves to take care of whatever's making the noise, and Damian can't stand it, so he heads over himself. Soon as he gets there, the crying stops, and a little face with big green eyes is staring at him, curiously. The little boy seems mesmerized by Damian as he pulls himself up to stand at the crib bars, Damian can't help but feel he should be credited with getting him to stop crying.

Damian studies the boy in his blue onsie (how gender typical) and wonders how a human can ever be so small? Was he ever that small? He's got a full head of dark hair that's messy, but slightly curled at the ends. Baby boy wonder starts banging his tiny hand on the crib, smiling like Damian's the best thing in the entire world.

Damian looks at Father, who for once, is smiling. "What is this?"

"That's Foxe. He's your new brother, or he will be once all the paperwork has been processed."

 _You can't be serious, Father?_ But Damian only thinks that, he knows better than to say it out loud, to Father, he will voice his distaste to Dick as soon as is possible. Father can read him like a book though.

"You'll get used to him, Dami. Just like we got used to you."

Is Father teasing him? Preposterous. Damian twists his lips at the new one, who's happily cooing at him, reaching, growing increasingly fussy. "Where are his parents?"

"He's an orphan."

"What is this, a Disney movie?" Damian noticed in most Disney movies, a main character either begins orphaned, or ends up losing one or more parents.

"No, a Batcomic."

Right. The only difference Damian sees there is lack of singing, unless you count Dick's shower concerts, and baking diddies.

Foxe starts to fuss some more, and he's getting more insistent. "Up. Up."

Damian's shocked. "It talks?"

" _He_ talks. A little."

Damian doesn't know if he should pick the boy up, what if he drops him? He immediately realizes how absurd that is. Damian's reflexes are the best in the Manor, nee the world if he does say so himself, and his strength up there for his age. He's confident he'll out do all his brothers. He's close now.

Damian reaches in and picks up the squirming boy, who settles some once he's in his arms. Then, it happens. With the boy in close proximity like this, Damian is overwhelmed with, _love._ He feels a fierce desire to protect the boy, and God help anyone who tries to harm him. Damian is confused to say the least—is this love at first sight? Sure it's not romantic love, but love at first sight isn't reserved for only romantic love; it happens between guardians and their adopted children, and even between Fathers who just discover they have a son, Damian knows.

Foxe seems content in Damian's arms, even if he moves about like a worm, interested in the collar of Damian's suit. "How old is he?"

"Just over eighteen months," Father answers him. Damian nods, still studying the boy, getting to know the feel of him. "Think you can handle giving up your baby of the family spot for this guy?"

Damian glares at Father. "Gladly." Damian never liked being baby of the family, well, maybe some of the perks, but he's more than happy to move up the special Batfamily chain of command.

"You'll have responsibility to him, as will your other brothers. I'll expect you to teach him, and Jonathan the ropes around here."

Damian can't help but snicker imaging tough-as-nails Jason with a baby. "Does anyone else know yet?"

"Alfred does, but the others only know we are having guests, not the nature of."

"I'll make sure to help lots too, Mr. Wayne," Jonathan says.

"Thank you, Jonathan. Will you ever call me Bruce, Jonathan?"

"I'll try." Right. Jonathan's devoted manners. Annoying.

Damian doesn't miss the feeling that moves in the room, the one that says there's something the pair of them know that has not yet been revealed to Damian, but Damian's not really interested in that right now. "I have got to see the look on Jason's face when he meets, Foxe."

"That will have to wait 'till morning," Father says, reaching to take Foxe from Damian.

Damian moves swiftly away. "What are you doing?"

"You should go back to bed. I'll stay up with him."

"No offense Father, but he likes me better than you."

"Is that, so?"

"Yes." Damian sways his new brother side-to-side, watching his eyes get sleepy.

Batman twists his lips at Damian. "All right, Damian, but no free passes if you're a grouch in the morning—I will spank you."

Damian flushes hot with embarrassment, Jonathan's in the room for crying out loud. "Father," he complains.

Father isn't sorry in the least. "He's got a reputation," he tells Jonathan.

"You two have fun, I'm going to show him around," Damian says.

"Where you going with him?" Father calls after him, as Damian leaves the room.

"Nowhere important." Damian's going to go surprise the hell out of Dick.

Father knows him too well. "Dick's sleeping. Leave him alone." Dick can get cranky too without enough sleep, but a cranky Dick is a lot more entertaining than a cranky Jason.

"He'll be excited," Damian says, pausing at the door. He's taking some liberties, ones you don't normally take with Father, but it's the right night for that. Still, he waits for permission.

"All right, go on. Show Dick, but I'm not shielding you from his wrath if you upset him. I'm going to hop in the shower."

Yeah. No one's sleeping around here tonight, anyway.

"Dami?" Father says.

"Yeah?"

"Manners. Aren't you forgetting something?"

Oh right. Jonathan. "Would you like to come with me, Jonathan?"

"You go ahead, Dami. That sounds like an experience brother-to-brother."

Damian cringes. Ugh. That's right. Jonathan calls him Dami like they're best pals—they're not.

Damian trots off with Foxe, who's practically asleep on him already. It figures that Damian would make a natural big brother immediately. But right now, his mission is to be a bratty younger brother, waking up older brother to freak the hell out of him. Damian knows Dick's going to fall in love with him right away, but the shock of the addition will still happen.

Super heroes don't sleep lightly, but even if that weren't the case, Damian isn't quiet. He walks into the room like it's the middle of the day, and gets Dick's attention by turning on the lamp (can't have too bright a light in the kid's eyes), and whisper yelling. "Dick. Dick!"

Dick jumps up frantically, thinking there's cause for alarm. "What, Damian? What the…? Something wrong?"

He sits up, half asleep, so Damian waits. "Nothing wrong. Wake up though."

Suddenly, Dick is awake and he's not pleased with Damian. "What is the meaning of this Damian?" Dick isn't quiet.

"Shhhh, you're going to wake the baby, and then I'll have to kill you."

"Baby?" Dick takes a closer look at Damian. "Damian, where did you get that? Were you out on patrol again? Because if you were, this time you are getting the spanking of your life."

Damian scowls. "I wasn't out on patrol. Father's back. He brought company."

"We're babysitting?"

"Yeah. Permanently."

"Permanently?" Dick's face registers the look Damian thought he would have; shocked to death with a sprinkle of overwhelm. "Who's going to look after him?"

"Father didn't exactly say, but I'm assuming us, and Alfred."

"I see." Dick studies the sleeping babe and soft look overtakes him. "He's lost his parents, hasn't he?"

Damian nods.

"Poor little guy. What's his name?"

"Foxe."

"Can I hold him?"

Damian knew Dick would want to hold him soon as the shock left him. Damian doesn't know if he wants to give up his new brother just yet, and if it were anyone else, other than Dick, he'd tell them to fly a kite, but it _is_ Dick. "You're going to wake him doing that."

"Nah, I'm a pro. Watch this." Dick reaches out, and effortlessly scoops the baby away from Damian. Damian's impressed. In short order, Foxe is snoozing on Dick's chest. Damian enjoys it, for about a minute, and then there's a strange pang in his chest. Watching Dick like that, with a child that is too _cute_ to be allowed makes him wonder things. Things like, will Dick pay attention to the new baby more than he will Damian?

 _Such a childish thought._ But Damian's having it, and suddenly, he's not so sure about this baby, again. "Our other guest is Jonathan Kent," Damian says, trying to figure out what to do about the situation that's quickly developing.

"Superman's son? What's he doing here?"

Damian shrugs. "You're asking the wrong person—no one tells me anything around here."

"I'll tell you A Thing, but you have to promise to keep it secret," Dick says, his voice getting low.

"I can keep a secret," Damian says insulted.

"I think there's A Thing going on between Dad and Superman."

For some reason, the thought of that makes Damian blush. "Ew."

"Dad's allowed a love life."

"But with Superman? That guy's a goody-good."

"And Dad's the Dark Knight. They say opposites attract."

The look of disgust hasn't left Damian's face.

"Still want us to tell you things?"

"I don't need to know about Father's love life; I need to know about crime… and stuff."

"You always get to know plenty about that, stuff."

Damian doesn't know how it happened, but he realizes he's crossing his arms at Dick, to which Dick rolls his eyes. "I know what you're thinking, you're already getting jealous. I'm not going to love him more than you—love doesn't work like that."

Damian doesn't deny it. Soon as Dick says it, he realizes that yes, that is what that pang in his chest is, watching Dick and Foxe. This was a mistake introducing them like this. "Yes it does. That's exactly what happens when someone falls in love with someone else—they're literally saying, 'I love you better than all the other people in the world'."

Dick smoothes Foxe's hair down. "You do have a point there, and I suppose favorites are a thing, whether we like to admit it or not."

This batch of honesty does not make Damian feel better at all. "You're supposed to lie to me and tell me I'll always be your favorite."

Dick chuckles. "I didn't know you cared so much, Damian."

Damian is furious. Not only is Dick being impossible, he's got Damian to unwittingly admit how much he cares for Dick, or that he cares at all really. "I do not," he says, sitting down on the bed, moving closer to Dick and the baby. They're both quiet a few moments, watching Foxe breathe in and out, peacefully dreaming. "Do you think he'll like it here?"

"'Course he will," Dick says. Damian wonders how he can be so confident about such things, but—he supposes—Dick is the eternal optimist, Damian being the exact opposite. "Wayne manor is a cool kind of place."

"It's also dark and dangerous."

"You like it here."

"I am dark and dangerous." Damian smiles his quarter smile.

"You can teach him then."

It's about then Father enters, still toweling off his hair, shirtless, in black pajama pants. "Well?" he says to Dick.

"I love him, but even I know it's a tad on the crazy side," Dick says.

"You just said he'll like it here," Damian says, confused.

"He will love it here, doesn't mean us taking on a baby isn't crazy."

"It is a bit crazy," Father admits. "But they were going to send him to a Children's home and adopt him out. There was just… something about him. I couldn't let that happen. Took a bit longer than I expected, but faster than it does for everyone else." Bruce Wayne can make things happen. "Still a bit of paperwork, but he's ours. Besides, even Damian likes him."

"What's all the ruckus… Damian, I thought I told you not one foot out of bed? Oh, Dad? You're home," Jason says, looking a little bedraggled.

The only thing missing from this party is—

"Dad? You're home?" Tim meanders into the room too, probably having heard all the ruckus. "Whoa, whose baby is that?"

"I'm pretty sure he's Damian's," Dick says.

"Is someone going to tell me what's going on?" Jason asks.

"Dad brought home another stray," Tim guesses lying down on the bed by Dick's feet, but on his side, so he can see the newcomer. "Cute."

"A baby? What am I supposed to do with that?" Jason says. Jason is practical, and knows a toddler is going to pose a challenge to training and such other kinds of super hero type activities.

"He's hardly a baby," Damian interjects, like there might be some small chance he'll get taken away. "He's a toddler."

"Not different. Worse maybe," Jason says.

"I'm sure Alfred will help out," Tim says. "Besides, it's not like we can't afford a nanny or something."

"We're going to raise him," Father says. "Alfred can help out some if we need it, but we'll do the majority of the footwork."

Jason's still unsure. "Of course, Dad, if that's what you want, we'll do that. It's just going to make things challenging."

"Here I thought you were always up for a challenge," Father says.

"It's a challenge all right," Jason agrees.

"I'm going to put him back in his bed. We've got much to discuss tomorrow. Don't be late for breakfast," Father says, coming over to peel Foxe away from Dick.

Damian watches as Father takes little Foxe out of the room, not entirely trusting the child to him—Damian should be watching over him. Maybe he should go sleep next to the little guy?

"Whatever you're thinking Damian, the answer's no," Jason informs him.

"You don't know what I was thinking."

"I have a good guess the way you were watching Dad take the baby out of here," Jason tells him. "Back to bed with you, both of you."

"It's too exciting to go back to bed," Tim says from where he's laying with his eyes closed, practically asleep.

Jason looks to Dick, waiting for him to join in with support. "I do agree it is exciting," Dick says as Jason frowns, "but we'll need sleep now more than ever with a babybat in the house. C'mon."

Dick climbs out of bed, tugging Tim up, and passing him off to Jason. Dick takes Damian to bed, the way it should have been in the first place.

"Father spanked me," Damian complains when they get to his room.

"You know better than to cross the line with him, don't expect sympathy from me," Dick says, fixing up Damian's covers, and pulling them back just so.

Damian hops in, but he's displeased. "I'm moving out. There are plenty of other people in this house now; I won't be missed."

Dick considers him as he tucks him in. "You know you can't leave—who will make sure the new bat-member doesn't go tumbling down the stairs? Can you really trust us?"

True. Except, "my ass is sore."

Dick raises his eyebrows. "Let's see."

Fair. Damian always asks to see Dick. He stands on the bed, exposing his freshly tanned backside to Dick, who lets out a low whistle. "Yeah, that looks ouch-y."

Damian pulls up the tights of his Robin suit, and lies back down, while Dick has the audacity to simply continue tucking him in. "Don't you feel sorry for me now?"

"Still no. Damian? If you're looking for a hug, you don't need a reason for that—you get hugs whether I agree you should have been spanked or not."

 _Does_ he want a hug? Is that what's he's after? "There has already been too much hugging around here today."

"Never enough, Damian," Dick says, pulling him into the hug anyway.

Damian is resistant at first, but then allows himself to sink into the hug, enjoying the comfort and the way it settles him. It doesn't hurt that Dick has a solid way about him, that comes with just a sprinkle of softness—only just enough, so as not to ruin the firmness he can access to help keep Damian in line. Like a bouncy safety net. Okay, yeah fine. Damian's got whatever hugging ailment everyone else seems to have in this house. Clearly it was contagious, and he's caught it, and now he must hug. He would complain about how unfair that is, he'll likely complain sometime in the future, but right now, all he can think about is how glad he is Dick's able to figure him out and hug him without Damian having to ask.

**Author's Note:**

> So see? A babybat! I won't be able to resist writing about that for too long.


End file.
